One of the most exciting development projects in Raleigh currently is the Beacon Site off Rock Quarry Road, that will soon be home to a Wake County elementary school, a new YMCA, affordable housing, and more resources for the nearby neighborhoods. It's also the first phase of Southeast Raleigh Promise, which aims to make sure Raleigh's growth and development includes ALL of its communities and citizens.
Leading Southeast Raleigh Promise is Executive Director Kia Baker, a Raleigh native who is now tasked with heading an organization that helps bring the right players and institutions together in the community to ensure the best chance of success for all.
We talked to Kia about how she came to this work and this organization specifically, her thoughts on the New York Times article highlighting gentrification in East Raleigh (she is quoted in the story), and what else she does when she's not shaping our community's future.
Before the interview, Ashton and Hayes discuss some new restaurants that have opened (or will soon), applaud the end of the Carolina Hurricanes season (because we're proud of the team AND happy to be rid of Boston media), and discuss our #Top3Raleigh BURGERS.
[Editor's note: we try to clarify abbreviations in podcast episodes, but sometimes err on the side of not interrupting the flow of conversation. Kia uses the term 'PWI', meaning "Primarily White Institution." In higher education, PWIs are often referred to as a comparison to HBCUs or "Historically Black Colleges & Universities."]
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